Needle Case for Beading Needles

ABSTRACT

A case for beading needles comprising a thermoplastic container is provided with a hinged lid. The case has a tray portion filled with penetrable needle retention medium into which needles may be inserted as desired and spaced widely. The tray portion comprises a thermoplastic housing section divided into two sections: a needle retention section and an open needle grasping section disposed above the needle retention section. The needle retention section has a width of at least about 1.25 inches. The housing section comprises a backing plate and has a transparent cover section removably hinged to the housing section. The cover section can be either pivoted rearwardly to form a stand, allowing the housing section to be maintained upright on a flat surface, or completely removed and reversed, allowing the upper portion of the backing plate to bear against a front wall of the cover.

CLAIM FOR PRIORITY

This non-provisional application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61,754,280, of the same title, filed Jan. 18, 2013. The priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61,754,280 is hereby claimed and the disclosure thereof is incorporated into this application by reference.

Many hobbyists have taken up beading as a past time, making decorative jewelry and ornamental objects for their families and friends as well as themselves. In many applications, beads are strong on the string or wire using beading needles. For many beaders, storing and transporting and retrieving these beading needles can be quite problematic. Conventionally, needles are sold and stored either in shallow thermoplastic trays having numerous needle shaped depressions formed therein or in cards, small pieces of slightly buckled paper board having perforations there through allowing the needles to be stored substantially in the plane of the paper board but retained by the perforations in the buckled portions of the paper board. In many cases, it can be difficult for beaders to retrieve needles from these primitive packagings, particularly in the case of beaders afflicted with arthritis, other joint infirmities or unsteady hands.

The present invention addresses these issues by providing a convenient durable thermoplastic container with a hinged lid having a tray portion filled with melamine foam into which needles may be inserted as desired and spaced as widely as the beader finds convenient for easy insertion and retrieval. In particular, the case for beading needles of the present invention comprises a thermoplastic housing divided into two sections, a needle retention section having a width of at least about 1.5 inches, a depth of at least about 0.25 inches and a height of at least about 0.75 inches. The needle retention section has melamine foam disclosed therein so that needles may be inserted into the foam as desired by the beader. Above the needle retention section is an open needle grasping section allowing the beader to easily reach and withdraw or insert needles. Preferably case for beading needles of the present invention comprises a housing section and a transparent cover section hinged to the housing section. Preferably, the cover section is removably hinged to the housing section so that it can be completely removed and reversed to form a stand allowing the housing section to be maintained upright on a flat surface.

The needle retention portion of the housing section is generally rectangular having a pair bosses on the distal portion its lateral surfaces (away from the needle grasping section). Above the rectangular needle retention section filled with melamine foam, the housing section comprises a backing wall and two relieved side walls, providing easy access to needles held in the needle retention portion thereof. Accordingly the housing section comprises an upstanding generally rectangular backing wall having dimensions of between about 30 and 75 mm in width, preferably between about 35 and 60 mm, more preferably between about 40 and 55 mm, still more preferably between about 45 and 50 mm; between about 50 and about 120 mm in height, preferably between about 55 and 110 mm, more preferably between about 60 and 100 mm, still more preferably between about 70 and 90 mm and most preferably about 81 mm. Integrally joined to the backing wall are two side walls, side walls having a width of between 7 and 25 mm in the region of the retention portion of the needle case, the width being preferably between about 8 and 22 mm, more preferably between about 10 and 20 mm, still more preferably between about 12 and 18 mm and most preferably between about 13 and 16 mm with the side wall being dressed away above the needle retention portion of the beading needle case to provide easy access to needles retained therein. It is preferred that the side walls retain a finite width even at the uppermost extremities of the needle grasping portion of the case so that a small lip is formed around the back wall. Such a lip need not be any large depth but can be about 3 mm or so. Thus above the needle retention portion of the needle case, the side walls taper upwardly and narrow the width of approximately 4 mm or so around the uppermost portions of the backing wall. Needle cases having the particular dimensions specified provide the important advantage of being well suited to retention of long needles such as those commonly used in beading making it convenient for beaders to both store needles in the case between beading sessions as well as to easily access and temporarily store long needles during beading sessions.

The needle retention portion of the beading needle case is formed by a lower wall extending forwardly from the backing wall, adjoining the lower extremities of the side walls as well as the lower extremity of the front wall spanning the full width proportion of those side walls and extending upwardly to form a cavity in which the melamine needle retention foam may be disposed. The transparent cover of the beading case the present invention comprises a front wall disposable over the needle grasping portion of the needle case of the present invention, said front wall having a lip disposed there about on three sides of the front wall and two downwardly depending pivot arms mateable with the bosses disposed upon the side walls of the housing portion of the needle retention case. Preferably, when the beading needle case the present invention is disposed in its transport and storage configuration, the transparent cover matably engages the upstanding side walls of the housing portion forming a closed cavity about the needle grasping section of the beading needle case.

When the beader wishes to use needles retained within the needle case of the present invention, the case may be transformed from the storage and transport configuration by either of two procedures. In one procedure, the transparent cover is pivoted rearwardly about the bosses on the housing section of the needle case and forms a stand holding the housing section of the needle case up right. Alternatively, the cover may be removed and rotated about its long axis, and made it to the housing portion so that the side walls of the cover no longer overlap the side walls of the housing section and rather than facing inwardly and rearwardly when the cover is in the closed position, the side walls project forwardly. In this configuration, the cover is also usable as a base to maintain the housing portion in upright position or the housing portion can be nestled within the side walls of the cover portion allowing the needle case to be laid out flat in an open configuration without restricting access to the needle grasping portion of the housing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in detail below with reference to the various Figures, wherein:

FIGS. 1-3 are isometric drawings illustrating the needle case of the present invention in its closed and one of its open configurations.

FIGS. 4-6 are photographic images illustrating the needle case of the present invention in its closed and one of its open configurations.

FIG. 7 is an isometric wire frame drawing illustrating the configuration of the housing of the needle case of the present invention.

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate the dimensions (in mm) of the most preferred housing of the needle case of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an isometric wire frame drawing illustrating the configuration of the pivoting cover of the needle case of the present invention.

FIGS. 12-14 illustrate the dimensions (in mm) of the most preferred pivoting cover of the needle case of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The invention is described in detail below with reference to several embodiments. Such discussion is for purposes of illustration only. Modifications to examples within the spirit and scope of the present invention, set forth in the appended claims, will be readily apparent to one of skill in the art. Terminology used throughout the specification and claims herein is given its ordinary meaning.

In the Figures, needle case 10 comprises three main components: housing portion 12, penetrable needle retention medium 14 disposed within the needle retention portion 16 of housing 12, said needle retention portion being located rearwardly from wall 18 upwardly of U-shaped lower wall 20, interiorly of full width portions 22 and 24 of side walls 26 and 28 and forwardly of the backing wall 30. Boss receivers 32 and 34 are formed into side walls 26 and 28 adjacent U-shaped lower wall 20. Backing wall 30 extends upwardly from retention section housing 12 and it joins dressed away portions 36 and 38 of outside walls 26 and 28 as well as upper lip 40 adjoining backing wall 30 at its uppermost extent. Conveniently, hanging aperture 42 may be formed through backing wall 30. Transparent cover 44 comprises front wall 46 similarly having hanging aperture 48 formed therethrough. Adjoining front wall of transparent cover 44 are cover side walls 50 and 52 having pivot legs 54 and 56 with pivot bosses 58 and 60 formed therein and mateable with boss receivers 32 and 34. Lip 62 adjoins upper most portion of front wall 46 and together with sidewalls 50 and 52 encompasses sidewalls 26 and 28 and upper lip 40 when cover 44 is pivoted forwardly in the closed position.

When the beader desires to use needles disposed within needle case 10, transparent cover 44 may either be simply pivoted rearwardly and used as a stand to maintain housing portion 12 in upright position or may be removed from housing 12 rotated about its long axis and pivot bosses 58 and 60 may be engaged in boss receivers 32 and 34 such that, when transparent cover 44 is pivoted rearwardly, frontwall 46 bears against rear wall 18 housing portion 12 and side walls 26 and 28 housing portion 12 are nestled within cover side walls 50 and 52 of transparent cover 44. In this way, if no suitable surface is convenient for maintaining beading needle container in its upright position, it may be laid upon some other convenient surface, perhaps the arm of a chair or the like.

Needle retention medium can be formed from any of very wide variety of materials into which in this may be easily inserted. Most conveniently, it is formed from a soft polymeric foam such as melamine foam but a mass loosely woven fabric, paper, leather or any easily penetrable material may be used.

While the invention has been described in detail, modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. In view of the foregoing discussion, relevant knowledge in the art and references discussed above in connection with the Background and Detailed Description, the disclosures of which are all incorporated herein by reference, further description is deemed unnecessary. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the invention and portions of various embodiments may be combined or interchanged either in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention. 

1. A case for beading needles comprising a thermoplastic container with a hinged lid having: a tray portion filled with penetrable needle retention medium into which needles may be inserted as desired and spaced widely, comprising a thermoplastic housing section being divided into two sections: a needle retention section having a width of at least about 1.25 inches, a depth of at least about 0.25 inches and a height of at least about 0.75 inches and an open needle grasping section being disposed above the needle retention section, said housing section comprising a backing plate and having a transparent cover section removably hinged to the housing section, so that it can be either pivoted rearwardly to form a stand allowing the housing section to be maintained upright on a flat surface or completely removed and reversed allowing the upper portion of the backing plate to bear against a front wall of the cover.
 2. The case for beading needles of claim 1 wherein needle retention section of the housing section is generally rectangular having a pair of bosses on the distal portion of its lateral surfaces and spaced away from the needle grasping section.
 3. The case for beading needles of claim 2, wherein the housing section further comprises two relieved side walls, providing easy access to needles held in the needle retention portion thereof.
 4. The case for beading needles of claim 3 wherein the housing section backing plate comprises an upstanding generally rectangular backing wall having dimensions of between about 1.25 and 3.5 inches in width and between about 2 and about 5 inches in height, the housing section further having two side walls, integrally joined to the backing wall and having a width of between 0.25 and 2 inches in the region of the retention portion of the needle case, said sidewalls being dressed away above the needle retention portion of the beading needle case to provide access to needles retained therein.
 5. The case for beading needles of claim 4 wherein the needle retention portion of the beading needle case is formed by a lower wall extending forwardly from the backing wall, adjoining the lower extremities of the side walls as well as the lower extremity of a front wall spanning the full width proportion of those side walls and extending upwardly to form a cavity in which melamine needle retention foam is disposed.
 6. The case for beading needles of claim 5, wherein the transparent cover of the beading case comprises a front wall disposable over the needle grasping portion of the needle case of the present invention, said front wall having a lip disposed there about on three sides of the front wall and two downwardly depending pivot arms mateable with bosses disposed upon the side walls of the housing portion of the needle retention case.
 7. The case for beading needles of claim 6, wherein, when the beading needle case of the present invention is disposed in its transport and storage configuration, the transparent cover matably engages the upstanding side walls of the housing portion forming a closed cavity about the needle grasping section of the beading needle case. 